A cafe in the border city of Belgorod has sparked a bit of controversy after putting a cake shaped like a bomb shelter on its menu, a nod to the concrete bunkers that have sprung up across the city since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The square sponge cake, iced with the word “shelter” on one side, was introduced earlier this week as part of Cafe Byuro’s limited City Day menu.
But not everyone saw the humor. An online poll by local media found many residents thought the cake was in poor taste given the deadly cross-border shelling that has become part of daily life.
“I truly don’t understand how you can use the current situation to create this kind of hype,” one Instagram user wrote, referring to attacks that officials say have killed more than 200 civilians in the Belgorod region since 2022.
Cafe Byuro said the cake would be removed from its menu after the City Day celebrations end this coming Sunday.
“We’re not considering adding it to the permanent menu. After all, it brings back certain memories for some people,” the cafe told local media.
It is not the first time a Belgorod business has tried to turn the city’s wartime reality into a marketing gimmick. Earlier this year, a local bar began selling “Bomb Shelter” craft beer, which also drew criticism, but remained on tap despite the complaints.
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